2008 MERCEDES-BENZ GL550 seat adjustment

55 Getting started
Driving
With a smooth motion, pull the belt out
of seat belt outlet1.
Place the shoulder portion of the belt
across the top of your shoulder and the
lap portion across your hips.
Push latch plate2 into buckle3
(
page 54) until it clicks.
If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
Seat belt height adjustment
1Release button
Press release button1 and move the
seat belt height adjuster upward or
downward.
Proper use of seat belts

Do not twist the belt when fastening.

Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the
shoulder portion of the belt under your
arm. For this purpose, you can adjust
the height of the belt outlet
(
page 55).

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.

Place the seat backrest in a position
that is as upright as possible.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.

Do not fasten a seat belt around a
person and another object at the same
time. When using a seat belt to secure
infant or toddler restraints or children
in booster seats, always follow the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.

Check your seat belt periodically
during travel to make sure that it is
properly positioned.

Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
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56 Getting started
Driving
Starting the engine Automatic transmission
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
PPark position
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
For more information on how to operate
the gear selector lever, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 189).
Warning!G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash, they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.Warning!G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can cause un-
consciousness and possible death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with at least one win-
dow fully open.
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76 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Air bags
Warning!G
Air bags are designed to reduce the poten-
tial of injury and fatality in certain frontal
impacts (front air bags), side impacts (side
impact air bags and window curtain air bags)
or rollovers (window curtain air bags).
However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
The deployment of the air bags temporarily
releases a small amount of dust from the air
bags. This dust, however, is neither injurious
to your health, nor does it indicate a fire in
the vehicle. The dust might cause some tem-
porary breathing difficulty for people with
asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle
as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
Warning!G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear their
respective seat belt.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the seat backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and make sure it is
properly positioned on your body
(
page 53).
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:

Sit properly belted in a position that is as
upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.

Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possi-
ble rearward, still permitting proper op-
eration of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the air bag cover
on the steering wheel must be at least
10 inches (25 cm) or more. You should
be able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any
problems, please see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

Do not lean your head or chest close to
the steering wheel or dashboard.

Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver’s front air bag inflates.

Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.
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130 Controls in detail
Seats
For information on seat adjustment, see
the “Getting started” section (
page 45).
For more information on seats, see “Load-
ing” (
page 295).
Easy-entry/exit feature for third-row
seats
This feature allows for easier access to and
exit from the vehicle’s third-row seats.Easy-entry feature for third-row seats
The lever for the easy-entry feature is lo-
cated on the rear of the seat base of the
passenger side second-row seat.
1Easy-entry lever
Pull and hold easy-entry lever1 in di-
rection of arrow at resistance point.
The seat backrest folds forward.1Easy-entry lever
Pull and hold easy-entry lever1 once
again in direction of arrow at resistance
point.
Lift up the right second-row seat until it
folds forward.
You should now have sufficient space
to access the vehicle’s third-row seat.
Warning!G
To help avoid personal injury, the
second-row seat backrests must be properly
locked either in the upright position or,
when using the expanded cargo compart-
ment, in the fully folded position while the
vehicle is in motion.
!Make sure that the head restraint is pushed
all the way down (
page 135).
iVehicles with memory function*:
The front passenger seat moved slightly forward.
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134 Controls in detail
Seats
Rear seat adjustment
Seat backrest tilt (second-row seats)The seat backrest tilt can be set to five
different positions.
The handles for adjusting the seats are
located on the rear of each seat base.
1Adjustment handle
While seated, pull handle1 in direc-
tion of arrow to resistance point and
hold it there.
To move seat backrest back, lean light-
ly against backrest.
Warning!G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and
belts are properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 53).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.
After adjusting rear seats, make sure

the seats are properly locked

the seat backrests are in an upright po-
sition and are properly locked
Check for secure locking by pushing and
pulling on the seat backrests. If a seat and
seat backrest are not properly locked, the
seat could move forward and the seat back-
rest could fold. The child seat would no long-
er be properly supported or positioned to
provide its intended benefit.
Warning!G
The seat belt only offers its intended protec-
tion when the seat backrest is in a nearly
vertical position and the occupant is sitting
upright. Avoid sitting in positions that pre-
vent the seat belt from being properly posi-
tioned against the body (
page 53). You
should therefore adjust the backrest to a po-
sition as upright as possible.
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136 Controls in detail
Seats
Head restraint fore and aft adjustment
The angle of the head restraint for the out-
er second-row seats or the third-row seats
can be adjusted manually.
While seated, reach behind you with
both hands and find lower edge of the
head restraint.
Adjust the head restraint to the desired
position by pushing or pulling on the
lower edge of the head restraint cush-
ion.Head restraints
Second-row seat head restraint
1Head restraint
2Release button
Removing
Second-row seat:
Fold the seat backrest forward
(
page 134).
Third-row seat:
Fold the seat backrest forward
(
page 305).
Pull head restraint1 to its uppermost
position.
Warning!G
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints installed when the rear seats
are occupied. Head restraints are intended
to help reduce injuries during an accident.
With a rear seat occupied, make sure to
move the respective head restraint up from
the lowest non-use position and have the oc-
cupant adjust the head restraint properly.
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible and the
center of the head restraint supports the
back of the head at eye level. This will re-
duce the potential for injury to the head and
neck in the event of an accident or similar
situation.
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137 Controls in detail
Seats
Push release button2 and pull out
head restraint.
Second-row seat:
Fold the seat backrest rearward until it
engages.
Third-row seat:
Fold the seat backrest rearward
(
page 305).
Installing
Second-row seat:
Fold the seat backrest forward
(
page 134).
Third-row seat:
Fold the seat backrest forward
(
page 305).
Insert head restraint1 into openings
on the seat backrest.
Push head restraint1 down until it au-
dibly engages.
Push release button2 and adjust
head restraint1 to the desired posi-
tion (
page 135).
Second-row seat:
Fold the seat backrest rearward until it
engages.
Third-row seat:
Fold the seat backrest rearward
(
page 305).
For more information on seats, see the
“Getting started” section (
page 45).
Lumbar support
The curvature of the driver’s seat can be
adjusted to help enhance lower back sup-
port and seating comfort.
The lever for lumbar support adjustment is
located on the right hand side of the
driver’s seat backrest.1Adjustment lever
Move adjustment lever1 in direction
of arrows until you have reached a
comfortable seating position.
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574 Index
Children in the vehicle 91
Air bags 77, 91
Blocking rear door window
operation 98
Indicator lamp, Front passenger front
air bag 85
Infant and child restraint systems 86,
92
LATCH-type child seat anchors 95
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) 81
Cigarette lighter
(Depending on vehicle
configuration) 323
Climate control 214
Air conditioning refrigerant 563
Air conditioning, Cooling 224, 225
Air distribution, Front 219
Air distribution, rear 227
Air recirculation mode 222
Air vents*, second-row seats 220
Air vents, Front 220
Air volume 220
Control panel*, Rear 226
Control panel, Front 216
Deactivating system 218Defogging 222
Defrosting 221
Rear window defroster 212
Residual engine heat (REST) 225
Clock 27, 174
Cloth upholstery, Cleaning and
care of 434
Cockpit 24
Cockpit Management and Data System
see COMAND System
Cold tire inflation pressure 416
Collapsible wheel chock 494
COMAND System see separate operating
instructions
Combination switch 61, 62, 64, 147
Compass 344
Adjustment 178
Calibration 179
Calling up the compass 344
Control and operation of radio
transmitters 370
Control system 155
Multifunction display 155
Multifunction steering wheel 156
Resetting to factory default 169Control system menus 155
AUDIO 164
DISTRONIC* (Canada only) 167
NAV* 166
Off-road 166
Settings 168
Standard display 162
TEL* 186
Trip computer 184
Vehicle configuration 182
Vehicle status message memory 167
Control system submenus 159, 161, 171
Comfort* 181
Instrument cluster 172, 173
Lighting 175
Time/Date 174
Vehicle 178
Coolant 381, 567
Anticorrosion/antifreeze mixing ratio
and quantity 568
Capacities 562
Checking coolant level 376, 381
Messages in the multifunction
display 470, 472
Temperature 372
Temperature display 162
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